Housing
Number of cars per household
About this topic
Number of cars per household shows how many registered motor vehicles are available to people living in a household. It is a measure of access to private transport rather than total travel activity.
This topic is useful for understanding mobility, transport choice, and access to jobs and services. It should be read with public transport availability, household type, income, and travel to work, because high or low car ownership can reflect very different local conditions.
Interpretation notes
- This measures registered motor vehicles owned or used by residents that were garaged or parked at or near the dwelling on Census night.
- Vehicle counts are a household access measure, not a direct measure of how often people drive or commute.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, 1 motor vehicle was the most common car-ownership level among households in Petersham, accounting for 51.3% (1,757 households). This share was lower than Inner West (A) (51.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 motor vehicle, which increased by 1,734 households and 28.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Car ownership
Petersham - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises number of cars per household for Petersham in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Inner West (A) and change since 2016.
Car ownership snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Petersham, with comparison markers for Inner West (A).
No motor vehicles
2021 count
729
% of total
21.3%
Change from 2016
+21.3pp
729
21.3%
+21.3pp
1 motor vehicle
2021 count
1,757
% of total
51.3%
Change from 2016
+28.1pp
1,757
51.3%
+28.1pp
2 motor vehicles
2021 count
727
% of total
21.2%
Change from 2016
-22.2pp
727
21.2%
-22.2pp
3 or more motor vehicles
2021 count
173
% of total
5.0%
Change from 2016
-33.4pp
173
5.0%
-33.4pp
Not stated
2021 count
37
% of total
1.1%
Change from 2016
-1.9pp
37
1.1%
-1.9pp
Chart view
Car ownership change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
No motor vehicles
+729
+21.3pp
1 motor vehicle
+1,734
+28.1pp
2 motor vehicles
+684
-22.2pp
3 or more motor vehicles
+135
-33.4pp
Not stated
+34
-1.9pp
Data table
Number of cars per household for Petersham. Car ownership. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Inner West (A).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Inner West (A)% | Count | % | Inner West (A)% | Count | pp | |
| No motor vehicles | 729 | 21.3% | 17.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 17.3% | +729 | +21.3pp |
| 1 motor vehicle | 1,757 | 51.3% | 51.9% | 23 | 23.2% | 48.8% | +1,734 | +28.1pp |
| 2 motor vehicles | 727 | 21.2% | 23.2% | 43 | 43.4% | 24.2% | +684 | -22.2pp |
| 3 or more motor vehicles | 173 | 5.0% | 6.3% | 38 | 38.4% | 6.2% | +135 | -33.4pp |
| Not stated | 37 | 1.1% | 1.1% | 3 | 3.0% | 3.4% | +34 | -1.9pp |
| Total households | 3,426 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 99 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +3,327 | 0.0pp |